Methi Malai Paneer

Methi Malai Paneer is a delicious gravy cooked with Indian Cottage/ paneer and dried Fenugreek leaves in a creamy coconut and poppy seeds sauce. Kasuri Methi adds loads of flavour to the gravy and it actually cuts down the sweetness of cream and milk a little bit.

 

 



 



 

 

 

 

Ingredients 

• 250 Grams Paneer - chopped into big cubes
• 1 Tablespoon crushed Kasuri Methi
• 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• a small piece of cinnamon stick ( about 1/4 inch long)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Medium Sized Onion sliced thinly
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Cream
• 1/4 Cup Milk ( I used full cream milk; You can use low fat Milk )
• Salt to taste

For Grinding  

• 1/4 Cup Fresh Coconut slices ( if you do not have fresh coconut, go ahead and use canned coconut milk. please refer to steps 4 and 11. Mix 1/4 Cup canned coconut milk with 1/4 Cup regular water and add it to the gravy at step number 11)
• 8 Cashew nuts
• 1 Tablespoon Khus Khus  ( called poppy seeds in English) + 1 Tablespoon milk to soak khus khus
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 1 Green Chilli
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Inch Fresh Ginger Piece 

Directions

1. In a pan , dry roast khus khus quickly for few seconds. Remove from the pan and soak it in 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl

 

                                  

 

 

                                  

 

 

2. In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and fry paneer cubes quickly for a minute. Flip them and fry on the other sides also. Do not fry for a longer time, they might become hard

 

                                  

                                      

                                 

 

 3 . Add coconut slices, cashewnuts, green chilli, fennel seeds, Ginger , Garlic , khuskhus soaked in milk into the food processor( do not discard the milk in which khuskhus was soaked in, add the milk to the food processor) 

                          

If you do not have fresh coconut slices, then skip adding them. You can use canned coconut milk in step number 11

 

 

 

 

4. Grind everything together into a thick paste consistency. You can use 1 or 2 tablespoons of water for grinding. I used 2 Tablespoons of water for grinding

                           

 

5. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter melts add cinnamon stick, bay leaf

 

6. Then add sliced onions and turn the heat to medium setting and fry until onions are translucent

 

                             

 

 

7. Then add the ground paste we have from step number  4  in to the butter and fry nicely until oil separates from the mixture

 

                            

 

 

10. Add red chilli powder, garam masala and fry for a minute

 

                             

 

 

11. Add fresh cream and milk to the pan and mix everything together. If you are using coconut milk instead of coconut slices, add coconut milk at this stage in the gravy

 

                            

 

                            

 

 

12. Add fried paneer cubes, crushed kasuri methi to the gravy

 

13. Season with salt and bring the gravy to boil

 

14. Check for seasoning and switch off the flame

 

15. Serve hot with roti / naan / pilaff